Bond Issue Seeks $35 Million to Pay for Extra Classrooms

The Pomona Unified school board, struggling to find space to accommodate students in new, smaller classes, is asking voters to approve a $35-million bond issue to build dozens of extra classrooms on campuses throughout the district.

Citing the state’s new class-size reduction initiative, Pomona’s Board of Education on Tuesday night unanimously approved a special election for June 3 on the bond issue to fund dozens of new classrooms at many of the district’s 24 elementary schools.

“We are a growing school district,” said Board President Linda M. Stevens. “With the reduced class-size initiative on top of normal growth, it meant we need to see if voters would help out.”

The state is using $771 million to reimburse school districts throughout California for every primary grade student enrolled in a class of 20 or less.

Under the program, schools can pare classes in first and second grades, then choose to do so in either kindergarten or third grade. However, Pomona school officials said that while it helps fund extra teachers, it does little to address the massive increase in demand for classrooms.

In February, when Pomona Unified implements the program of smaller classes, officials say, they expect to create as many as 155 new classes. “We have regular elections in November, but the fact is we need the money as soon we can get it. In fact we need it already,” Stevens said.

School officials are counting on a repeat of 1991, when three out of four voters approved a $62.5-million bond issue for new school buildings and upgrades at old campuses. Such a bond measure must get more than two-thirds to succeed.

In addition to new classrooms, the money would also be used to pay for rewiring of the electrical system in old classrooms because many cannot support computers and other high-technology equipment, officials said.

The district serving Pomona and north Diamond Bar serves about 30,000 students as well as an additional 13,000 adult education students.